Bliss

[torth]

Opiate is one of the less ambigious tool songs. The speaker is talking to an unidentified christian and/or christians in general. Religion targets the weak and uncertain who feel like they have a void in their life - and Oh lord, it was religion that has been missing all this time.

Anyway, the whole point to this thread is to ask - which do you agree with, not necessarily for you personally, but for people in genereal: Ignorance is bliss, or, to quote Rage Against the Machine, "If Ignorance is bliss then knock the smile off my face."

I, myself, would go with the latter. But my mother changed my mind about the way I feel about the former. Before she was a christian, she was shy, depressed, didn't have many close friends, etc. After a "life changing experience" she is now a dedicated christian and has completely changed for the better. I have never seen her with so much confidence and smile so often. Although I may not fully agree with what she bases her life on, I am happy that she is happy; I wouldn't want her to give up that bliss.

"Jesus Christ, why don't you come save my life.
Open my eyes and blind me with your light
and your lies."

What's your pick?

[radmanics]

Being ignorent can be an incredibly dangerous thing... but believing in a god, christian or otherwise, does not make you ignorent, if that is what you're implying.

[torth]

I was not implying that a person who believes in a god is ignorant. It would be ridiculous to say there are no true believers of a faith. If you read the lyrics of Opiate, Tool writes about the believers who lack a strong sense of self, "deaf and blind and born to follow," who fully take on their religion with eyes closed and no questions asked. As described in the song, the people are "broken," therefore they will do everything the religion demands so that they will be "saved." I did not intend for my question regarding ignorance to mean "would you rather be an all knowing atheist or an ignorant christian." The first part of my post was meant to be describing the kinds of christians referenced in the song, not a generalization. My apologies for not making that clear.

[AllforUnity]

That would be ignorant of you.

[Skinshifter01]

I think that this song was more of spiteful sarcasm than anything else. I don't think MJK is actually meaning Christians in particular - I think that he uses Jesus as an example, though, that words don't mean anything, that one has to believe, has to ask the tough questions, has to get deeply involved in the religion or the society or the club.

I think MJK uses the references to him being an agent of some unnamed god as a metaphor for what people want to hear without realising it. People want to hear that

[Skinshifter01]

I think that this song was more of spiteful sarcasm than anything else. I don't think MJK is actually meaning Christians in particular - I think that he uses Jesus as an example, though, that words don't mean anything, that one has to believe, has to ask the tough questions, has to get deeply involved in the religion or the society or the club.

I think MJK uses the references to him being an agent of some unnamed god as a metaphor for what people want to hear without realising it. People want to hear that they will be healed with no down payment. With nothing but blind, devoted following. And I think MJK is spitting on these people. Or at least at them.

[Bhikkhu]

I agree with the buddhist-views, that ignorance (and money) is a big source of the problems we have today. To NOT be ignorant, means to me to always be searching for "the truth" and my "true self".

[NightmarexOfxFerocity]

I'd rather embrace all the evils and miseries of the world and be knowledgeable than spend my life ignorant and happy. At least if you know what you're up against, you can form ideas and theories on how to conquer it. Ignorant is something I never want to be. I'd rather be dead.

[ravinglunatic61]

I'd rather embrace all the evils and miseries of the world and be knowledgeable than spend my life ignorant and happy. At least if you know what you're up against, you can form ideas and theories on how to conquer it. Ignorant is something I never want to be. I'd rather be dead.


I agree. Although I try very hard not to dwell on the evils of life, it is impossible not to see how twisted society has become and that evil seems to prevail everywhere, going against everything I was ever taught. I have had to change my beliefs 180 in order to survive. Ignorance = death.

[keroppi]

I'm sure that not everyone who believes strongly in religion is ignorant, but I've met far too many people who rely too heavily on their faith in god. Recently I met someone who told me that a friend of his stopped taking medication for seizures because god would take care of him. That guy died. Another example is when someone needs money or something else and they pray and pray but never actually take any steps to physically acquire whatever it is they need. It is really sad when people are ignorant to reality. If people want to believe in a god or belong to a religion, I don't see anything wrong with it as long as they are aware that they are not invincible.

[jakesstuff_69]

I'd take both sides on this issue. Some things deserve a little ignorance, how else are we going to ease our mind if we have to think about everyone and everything all at once. Choose to be ignorant at times seems like a very good idea to me. But, it's not something I would consider for all of my actions and thoughts. Sometimes ignorant people do take my smile away. Sometimes they put one there though, so I really don't know what to think.